Hopelessly Devoted
by coffee-stained lips
Summary: Ryan is hopelessly devoted to Gabriella but she loves Troy. But when they break up, will Ryan finally get the girl? co-written partially with thelittledancer
1. Chapter 1

**Me and my friend thelittledancer are going to co-write this story. I will do the odd chapters, she/he will do the even, just so you know.**

I grimaced as I saw Gabriela and Bolton walking down the hallway, holding hands. Ever since they had met, I had been unhappy. That first day when Gabriela walked through those doors, I knew I had fallen in love. But she fell for superstar, basketball-playing Troy Bolton. I hadn't had anything against Bolton until he stole Gabriela from me. Well, I guess not steal per se, but I still didn't like him. All last year I had only tried to sabotage the two because I was jealous of their relationship, not their spotlight, like Sharpay. Sharpay was my airhead, superficial, loves-herself sister. It made me sick sometimes to know I was related to her.

Bolton left Gabriela at her locker. It would have been so easy to just go and ask her out then, but I wasn't that kind of guy. Bolton probably was, though. Ugh, I hated his guts. I couldn't ask her out but I could still talk to her. So I walked over to her quickly, hoping Bolton wouldn't see us. He might jump to conclusions and beat the snot out of me.

"Hey, Gabriela." I said shakily.

"Oh hey, Ryan." she said, her voice sounding like it was singing. I felt like I was melting.

"Um, so, are you and Bo-Troy going to try out for the Spring Musical again?" I asked. I felt so mad when I said his name. She shrugged.

"What about you and Sharpay?" she asked. Being the nice person she was, Sharpay's name didn't make her look like she wanted to vomit. I liked that about her.

"Sharpay definitely will, but I'm not so sure about me." I replied. I had lost confidence throughout last year, especially after Bolton's and Gabriela's duet.

"Why not?" she asked, staring up at me like I was crazy, "I bet you'd be great." My heart fluttered. A compliment from her was better than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Great, now I'm getting all melodramatic.

"Nah…" I said.

"Ryan…" she sighed, "You _have _to at least try out. I won't take no for an answer." She smiled, but she seemed so serious. I laughed shakily.

"Okay, okay." I said, but I was lying.

"You're lying." she said. Wow, was she psychic? This girl is too good for me. "If you aren't going to be serious, I guess there's only one thing to do. I'm auditioning with you." My stomach did a back flip. Did I hear right? She, _the _Gabriela Montez, was going to audition with _me_?

"Uh, um, er…" I stuttered. Thankfully, the bell rang.

"We'll see Ms. Darbus after school for tryouts." she said, and poked me in the chest jokingly, "And don't try to get out of it." Yeah, right, like I'd try to do _that_.


	2. Chapter 2

**OK, here's thelittledancer's first chapter. She/he and I hope you like it!**

I had just finished putting my books in my locker. I shut my locker door, and there she was. Her brown eyes made me feel like a marshmallow over a fire. I was so stunned, I didn't know what to say.

"Uh, hey Gabriela," I said trying not to sound nervous.

"Hey Ryan, are you ready to break a leg?!" she said jokingly, but also seriously.

"Uh, yeah! Any ideas on what we're going to sing?!" I said in a sarcastic manner.

"I do have something in mind...c'mon, we have to hurry!" she said excitedly.

As we walked down the hall with her by my side, so many things raced through my mind. "Should I do this?" "Does Bolton know?" "What if Bolton doesn't know and he finds out?" "What if something other than a friendship comes out of this?" The possibilities seemed endless. Before I knew it, we were outside the music room.

We walked in, and she pulled out a piece of sheet music out of her backpack. I read the title: "Summer Nights" from the musical _Grease_.

"Ok so I figured we-" she started, but I interrupted.

"Are you sure Troy's ok with this?" I said cautiously.

"Oh yeah, he'll be fine." she said reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" I wanted to be sure. The last thing I wanted was a basketball player rearranging my face.

"Positive." she said in a hesitant yet positive manner.

"Ok, as you were saying," I didn't want to seem nervous about Bolton knowing or not knowing.

"You've seen Grease, right?" she said.

"Of course, who hasn't!" I said excitingly.

"Good, well, I've heard from a good source that Grease happens to be the spring musical!" she said smiling.

"Alright, and the selection you chose is..." I gestured towards the paper.

"Summer Nights." she said excitingly.

"Alright, let's get to it." I said smiling.

After the first two words, we were in perfect sync. It instantly clicked. The adrenaline rush was dynamic, I had never experienced such a rush in my life. Singing with her, was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The rush, the sync, the chemistry, the happiness, the joy distributed by her voice, the way you could tell she really loved to sing. It was exhilarating. I had never been so happy, and while the music carried me, it came naturally, until I heard the door open. Everything fell apart.


	3. Chapter 3

**SimonandJeanetteAreBest's turn (that's me!)**

Bolton stood there in his red-and-white East High jock jacket. His face appeared rather surprised. He looked to Gabriela as if an explanation would come spouting immediately from her mouth. She looked pleasant still, like nothing were wrong. Bolton didn't look like something was wrong; he just looked surprised. But I was all knotted up inside, feeling I was about to upchuck.

"What's up?" Bolton asked, more to Gabriela than me.

"Ryan said he wasn't going to audition for the play, so I'm making him." she answered, smiling innocently. Even though I was nervous about Bolton, the smile put me at ease.

"Oh okay." he said, "By the way, Gabby, your mom is in the parking lot-"

"Oh my gosh!" Gabriela shouted suddenly, "I totally forgot! Sorry, Ryan!" I just smiled, but quickly stopped when I caught Bolton staring at me warily.

"Bye, Ryan! Bye, Troy!" she said and left with her things. Bolton and I both watched her leave. As soon as we saw her turn the corner, I said, "Well, I guess I better go home, t-" But I didn't get to finish for Bolton had gotten me pinned against the lockers. He held me by my collar. My head slammed against the metal hinge. I'm not going to try and be a man; it hurt.

"Listen here, you drama queen," he whispered dangerously, "Gabriela is _my _girl. I don't want you to dare _try _and make a move on her. If you do, it'll be the last thing you'll _ever _do."

"B-but Gabriela t-told me sh-she wa-wanted to d-do it." I stuttered helplessly.

"Shut up!" he yelled and slammed my head against the lockers again, "If Gabby wants to be friends, that's fine. But if you try and step out of line…" He made his sadistic eyes lock with mine. "I'll get you." He dropped me onto the floor, and I felt the floor shake. He walked away from me but I still felt his presence. His cold, dark eyes had felt like they were boring into my soul. I had thought Bolton was an okay guy, apart from the fact he was my crush's boyfriend. But apparently he was just another stereotypical jock. The kind that picks on other kids just because he can.

I had been so excited to do the play with Gabriela but I learned Bolton was going to make it tough. He cut me a little slack, he wouldn't beat me up if Gabriela talked to me. But I knew he'd be watching me. And if I did the slightest thing to provoke him, I'd get something worse than a throbbing pain in the back of my head.

* * *

Being at home wasn't much better. When Sharpay heard I would be auditioning with Gabriela instead she blew the roof. I never knew her voice could sound so shrill. My parents found it a refreshing change, a chance to show the real me. Sharpay thought it was a horrible idea, of course. Where would she be without her little assistant? I didn't want to be that for the rest of my life, though.

At auditions the next day, the day after Bolton nearly broke my skull, Gabriela seemed twisted between eager and nervous.

"I can't wait!" she'd say, and then thirty seconds later, "Ugh, my stomach's all sick." I would just laugh and give her a reassuring pat on the back, at least, when I knew Bolton couldn't see. We filed into the auditorium, all the kids ready for their tryouts. I made sure Gabriela and I sat a good distance away from Sharpay. Who knew what'd she say?

Ms. Darbus gave a longwinded speech before the tryouts. Only Sharpay clapped when she finished. Darbus, of course, let her go first.

After Shar's and several other auditions, I heard the two names I longed to hear. "Mr. Ryan Evans and Miss…Gabriela Montez?" She rubbed her glasses and rechecked the piece of paper she was reading. Then she said our names again, and we eagerly bounded up the steps on stage.

"How're you feeling?" I asked her. She looked at me with her puppy-dog brown eyes.

"Sick." she replied. I gave her a comforting grin and gestured to Kelsi for the music. I sang first.

_Summer lovin' had me a blast._

Then Gabriela.

_Summer lovin' happened so fast._

_I met a girl crazy for me._

_I met a boy, cute as can be._

_Summer days driftin' away to Summer Nights._

It felt so good to sing with her again. I felt like I was floating. It was so nice, so divine, so heavenly. I wanted to grab Gabriela and twirl her above in the air. I never wanted the song to end; I wanted it to last 'til the end of time. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. As the song ended I felt disappointed, but the cheers from our fellow students made me feel a lot better. Thankfully, Bolton wasn't among them.

After all the kids had left, Ms. Darbus pulled Gabriela and I aside. She looked at us with a proud face as she said, "Don't tell the other performers but I believe we've found our Danny and Sandy." Gabriela squealed in delight. I smiled so big I thought my face would crack.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Gabriela said as we left, "It's so great! I knew you'd make it, but me?"

"Why weren't you sure you'd make it?" I asked, "You're a perfect fit for Sandy."

"I don't know. I guess I'm not that confident." _Story of my life, _I thought.

"That's something we'll both have to work on." She giggled. It all seemed so perfect. I only wished she wasn't going out with Bolton already; then it'd be right-on-the-dot perfect. As we both parted for our homes, I couldn't help but smile at what had just happened. I wanted it to work out, for Gabriela to feel something. Maybe the play would do just that. Maybe…


	4. Chapter 4

**thelittledancer doesn't want to write the story anymore so I'm taking full responsibility. Here's the new chap and sorry for taking so long!**

I awoke the next day with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was Saturday. Normally kids would love the weekend but not me. School was my refuge. And I didn't want to spend two whole days in a house with Sharpay, especially when she was mad at me. At least the glee from Gabriella still lingered.

I hoisted myself up from my bed and ambled over to my closet. As I put my clothes on I heard the ringing of my telephone go off. I hastily tugged my shirt on and reached for the phone. I heard the honey-sweet tone of Gabriella's voice on the other end.

"Hey, Ry!" she said cheerfully, "What're you doing today?" I felt my heart skip a beat. I tried to calm myself. She wasn't asking me out on a date; it was just a friendly outing, much to my chagrin.

"Nothin' much." I said, trying to sound nonchalant but my voice cracked halfway through. She giggled warmly, though.

"Well, how about coming with Kelsi and Troy and me to get pizza?" she asked. My heart jumped for two reasons: 1) she was inviting me out and 2) I'd have to see Bolton. Your heart leaps when you're happy and when you're terrified. You can guess just what feeling belonged to which reason.

"Uh, um, well…sure, I-I guess." I said.

"Great! We'll pick you up in a minute!" I then heard the click that meant she had hung up.

I frantically changed out of my sweat pants and sloppy T-shirt into something…well, presentable. I donned a red polo, a black jacket, and white baseball cap with the big E emblem of East High on it. If Bolton could pull of the school spirit look, surely I could.

I heard the blaring car horn and rushed down the staircase and out the front door. There a red convertible sat, Kelsi in back and Gabriella and Bolton in front. My stomach did a back-flip as I saw Bolton put his arm around Gabby.

"Hey, Ryan!" Gabriella said, waving me over, "Hop in!" I ran excitedly down the front lawn and jumped in next to Kelsi. She smiled widely at me and I returned it.

We drove for awhile before we arrived at the pizza parlor. Gabriella's hair flowed gracefully in the wind and I felt a longing to place my hand in hers, but Bolton would kill me.

Kelsi acted strangely for the trip. She kept looking down at her shoes and wringing her hands. Whenever I said something she'd smile and look over to me, then return to her quiet state once more.

When we arrived at the pizza parlor Bolton parked the car while the rest of us got a table. He looked me with a dangerous glint in his eye and mouthed "Watch out, Evans" before driving off. I felt a lump grow in my throat.

The waitress seated us close to the window, and I could see Bolton eyeing me closely as he walked past. I reluctantly sat next to Kelsi, who blushed as I sat with her.

The whole lunch was pleasant. Bolton kept cracking jokes and everyone laughed. I didn't dare try and steal his thunder; I didn't want him to have another reason to kill me.

I got up from the table and said I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't have to, though; I just wanted to get away for a few moments. I was afraid of Bolton and overjoyed by Gabriella. I just needed a second to regain myself. I sat on a rickety chair by the restrooms. I heard the _click-clack _of heels and saw Gabriella walk by. I tensed immediately.

"Hey, Ryan." she said, sitting with me, "Where have you been? I thought you ditched us for a minute." She giggled and I had to laugh with her. She was so beautiful and wonderful…

"I'm fine." I said, "I just…forgot where the table was."

"Well, come on, I'll take you back." she said. We both stood and began to walk. I walked backwards in front of her. She giggled at me and I smiled, thinking how I brought that grin to her lips. I stopped abruptly to turn around and almost tripped. I regained myself but Gabriella tripped over me. I held my arms out to her and she fell into them. But I still fell on the floor.

We crashed hard on the wood. Gabriella's fall was softened because she had me under her but I was still a little bruised. She gasped and we gazed into each other's eyes. Then, she burst out laughing. I laughed along with her. She started to get off me when I heard "Evans!" I stopped laughing. I knew who was behind me, and I didn't want to see him. But I turned anyway, knowing I'd have to eventually. Bolton's face was red and purple with rage.

"What'd I tell you, Evans?!" he shouted, "You better hope I don't kill you!" He ran at me and held his fist out but Gabby stepped in front of him.

"No, Troy!" she said, "We just fell! Don't hurt Ryan!" Bolton breathed angrily. Then he took Gabriella's hand and sped off, but not without throwing me a dirty look. From then on, I'd never walk in the halls alone.


	5. Chapter 5

I laid on my couch that night, feeling foolish and afraid. Why did I have to be so klutzy? Now I wouldn't be able to talk to Gabriella at all! Bolton wouldn't let her, and since she's _in love_ with him, she'd do what he said.

I couldn't stand it! Why did the popular jock always get the girl? Just like in the movies: handsome, popular, sporty guy gets the attractive, shy, nice girl. Why can't it ever be the shy, not-so-popular, sweet guy gets the attractive, shy, nice girl? I'd watch that movie.

Suddenly the phone rang, and I jolted off the couch in a mad dash for it. I was almost there when a tan hand grabbed it out of my reach. Her blonde hair whacked my face as she turned and walked away.

"Sharpay!" I shouted, reaching for the phone, "Give me it!"

"Now, now, Ryan!" she said, slapping my hand away, "It's not like it's for you." She laughed in that Sharpay way of hers. I hoped it wasn't for me. I didn't want Gabriella on the other end of that telephone. But since when did I get my way?

Sharpay raised the phone to her ear and said "Hello?" Her happy face fell into a scowl as a voice spoke to her from the other end. I knew only one voice could make her face turn suddenly hateful. There was a buzz from the phone, the other person's voice, and I felt my stomach twist as I imagined the face that that voice belonged to.

"Yes, Ryan's here." Sharpay said icily, giving me a deep glare, "Okay, I'll get him." She lowered the phone and placed her palm on it. She then raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to respond.

"W-who c-called, Shar?" I asked, though I very well knew who.

"Gabriella Montez." she replied, her tone angry and accusing, "Care to tell me why she's asking for you?" I gulped nervously and shakily outstretched my hand.

"M-may I t-talk to h-her?" I stuttered. Yeah, like Shar would just say "Okay!" and hand it over. In my dreams.

"I don't know…" she said, pretending to think it over, "Perhaps I need to find out just what you'll talk about." She lifted her hand off the phone and began to place it to her ear.

"Sharpay, please!" I whispered desperately. Of course, she merely ignored me and spoke to Gabriella.

"Whoops, my mistake!" she said in a fake cheery voice, "Ryan's not here. But is there a message you'd like to tell?" She paused as Gabriella spoke to her. Her face became rigid like rock and her eyes burned angrily.

"Alright, I'll tell him." she said, "Yes…okay, goodbye, Gabriella!" She slammed the phone down heatedly and spun to me.

"What'd she say?" I asked eagerly.

"She wants to know if you'd like to get a 'bottle of pop'." Sharpay said, saying 'bottle of pop' in a stupid, girly voice, "Now, tell me just _how long you and that stupid Montez girl have been dating_?!" She was fuming and her teeth were clenched. I took a step back in fear, as if she'd attack me. A small part of me wished there was truth in her words but I knew now wasn't the time to fantasize about that.

"We're not-" I started but she cut me off.

"_That's _why you auditioned with her instead of me!" she yelled, "Of course! How dare you pick her over me, your own sister, Ryan!"

"Shar, I-" I said, trying to explain again but she interrupted me once more.

"Wait!" she yelled, "I get it! You're just pretending to date her so she'll be so love-struck, she'll forget about Troy and acting! Then, you'll break up with her, we get them out of the way, and I get Troy all to myself! Oh, Ry, you're a genius!" She hugged me tightly and ran off to her bedroom. I just stood there, thunderstruck at the words that had left her mouth. Now she thought I was dating Gabriella, and only for personal gain in showbiz! How dare she think I would do something so low! I'd never hurt anyone like that, especially Gabriella! She was amazing, beautiful, sweet, funny, nice…

_Ryan, get a grip! _the voice in my head scolded, _She and Bolton are dating! And what girl wouldn't want Bolton over a dumb Drama Club member like you? _I had to agree with the voice in my head, no matter how much I wanted it to shut up.

As I sulked about my new situation and my never-to-be love life, I remembered Gabby's call. I ran the few feet to the phone, dialed her number, and shakily held it up to my ear. A few rings went off, and then a click was sounded and Gabriella's voice came from the other end.

"Hello? Montez residence, Gabriella speaking." she said, and my knees felt weak. _Be a man, you idiot! _I told myself.

"H-hi." I said, "I-it's Ryan."

"Oh, hey, Ryan!" Gabriella said, perky as usual, "Wait, Sharpay said you weren't there."

"I was!" I said, thinking angry thoughts toward my sister, "It's just I was…in the shower but I'm out now and Sharpay told me you called."

"Oh, okay!" she said, "So, would you like to come over?" I felt my heart skip a beat.

"C-c-come o-over?" I stammered, "A-as in…y-your h-h-house?"

"Um, yeah…" she said, "Why, is there a prob-"

"No!" I said quickly, "No, just…clarifying."

"Okay." she said, "Well, can you?"

"Uh, sure." I said, "I'll be there at,"-I checked the clock and it read six o' clock-"6:30."

"Alright then, see you there!" The phone clicked off and I hung it up, forgetting Shar and her selfish plans for stage domination.


	6. Chapter 6

I drove to Gabriella's house as fast as my car would let me. I kept trying to fix my hair as I drove, trying to get it just right for her. Soon my car pulled onto her street, and my heartbeat increased tenfold.

_Cool it, man, _I told myself, _Just remain calm. _I got out of my car and walked up her pathway. I neared her front porch. Letting out a deep breath, I knocked. I was almost ready to turn back since the door didn't open right away, but I saw Mrs. Montez's face there in a few seconds.

"Hello, Ryan." she greeted, "Won't you come in?"

"Thank you, ma'am." I said, entering. She smiled serenely at me, and stepped aside for me to get in. Closing the door behind me, she said, "I bet every guy at East High wants to be in your shoes." _I'll bet, _I thought, smirking. But I played dumb.

"Why?" I asked, hanging my coat up. Mrs. Montez gave a faint laugh.

"Why, because you'll be trapped in a house full of females for a few hours." she said. I gave her a quizzical look but she just chuckled again.

"Yes, any guy would be lucky to be here tonight," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder, "but I'm lucky it's you." I didn't know what to say, so I just said, "Thank you."

"Welcome." she said, "Now then, I'll take you to the living room." She walked past the staircase, and I followed. Soon, I knew what she meant by 'lucky'.

Kelsi, Taylor, Martha, and Gabriella were sitting around her wood floor, playing a board game of some sort. They looked up at the sound of footsteps and they all smiled.

"Hey, Ryan!" Taylor said, waving. I waved back halfheartedly. Martha said hi too and Kelsi mumbled a soft "Hello" before turning scarlet and looking down. A lot of guys would want to be in a living room with four girls, but I wanted to be in it with only one. That one, Gabriella, stood up and walked over to me.

"Glad you could make it, Ryan!" she said, "Sorry 'bout having only girls. I invited Troy, Zeke, and Chad over too, so it'd be more of a friend meeting but,"-she gestured to the other three girls-"it's more like a quadruple date and you're stuck with all the dates. Bet you love that?" She giggled and I grinned too. She took my hand and led me to the living room. I looked back at Mrs. Montez; she smiled and left the room.

"You wanna play, Ryan?" Martha asked me, indicating the _Monopoly _game board on the floor. I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm okay." I said, "I'll just watch." After that we all talked and they finished playing _Monopoly _(Taylor won). After that, we all talked some more, and laughed, and watched _iCarly_. After a half-hour, Martha said "Uh-oh. We're low on supplies." She pointed to the empty snack bowl. We all laughed. Gabriella stood up.

"I'll get some more." she said, picking up the plastic bowl. I didn't want her to go; she was the only person I wanted to see.

"Nah, Gabby, I'll get them." I said, standing also.

"It's okay, Ry." she said.

"Let's both go." I said, "Then we can get more supplies." The girls laughed and Gabriella shrugged. We both went into the kitchen. There was a wall separating the living room and the kitchen, so Gabriella and I could be alone.

We took an extra bowl from the cupboard and grabbed bags of chips too. As we poured them in I felt like I needed to say something to her other than a joke or something. I don't know why but us being alone made me want to talk to her like I loved her, which I did.

My brain kept telling me to keep my trap shut, that I would only get myself into hot water if I said anything. But my heart said to do what I felt was right, to tell Gabriella exactly how I felt. And my stomach said I was about to throw up that half bowl of Doritos I ate.

"Hey, Gabriella?" I said. _Good, go do it! _my heart encouraged as it beat faster.

"Yeah, Ryan?" she asked, turning to me. My heart was making its way up to my throat, still pumping furiously.

"I…I…" I said, trying to say what I wanted to: "I like you". But it's so much easier in your head than right before you.

"You okay?" she asked, resting a hand on my arm. I felt sparks go through me.

"I…I like your shoes." I said, sighing. _Good boy, _my brain said as my heart shook its head disappointedly. Gabriella glanced down at her feet and then back up at me with a confused smile.

"Um, thanks." she said as she chuckled. I turned to grab my bowl when Gabby said "I know what you were going to say, Ryan." I felt my body stiffen. She couldn't know, could she? No, I never told anyone. She couldn't possibly know.

"I'm sorry about Troy." she said, and I sighed in relief, "He gets a little hotheaded sometimes. But I explained everything to him, and he's okay now. Of course, after seeing him get mad like that…" I saw tears fill her eyes. I laid my hand on hers in comfort and she smiled a little.

"We…we broke up after he took me home." she said softly, "I explained that I couldn't be with someone…who had such a temper…He understood, after awhile. We're still friends, but it just…hurts, you know?" I nodded, though, since I had never really been in a relationship as deep as theirs, I didn't exactly. She sighed and I saw a tear trickle down her cheek. I wrapped my arms around her in a consoling hug. She sniffed into my shoulder. We stayed still for a few minutes until she pulled away, much to my dismay. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and smiled up at me.

"Thanks, Ryan." she said, "You're a wonderful friend." Yeah, _friend_. I kind of hated that word now.

"You're welcome." I said. We picked up our chip-filled bowls and walked back to the living room. I cursed myself for not saying what I wanted to, but my spirit was lifted as I remembered the feel of Gabriella in my arms.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day was Sunday. I had dreamt of Gabriella and me hugging all night…man, what an idiot I was! I had to dream of her to have her love me! _Tell _me that's not pitiful!

Why did I have to fall for a girl who was so out of my league? She was beautiful, funny, amazing, charming. I was just boring old Ryan Evans. Ugh.

I figured a nice walk would clear my head. I ambled down the sidewalk away from my house. The air was nice and cool so I didn't need a coat. I put my hands into my pockets and felt something against my hands. I took it out: it was Gabriella and I's sheet music for _Summer Nights_. I had completely forgotten about the musical! Ms. Darbus always put up who made callbacks on the bulletin board at school, but she usually called Sharpay and me about it. Well, I guess it was different this time; Shar and I hadn't auditioned together.

I saw the school loom ahead and ran inside. I knew most people wouldn't be there on the weekend, but usually Ms. Darbus was. I ran to the auditorium to find Ms. Darbus on stage with…Gabriella?

"That was superb, Miss Montez!" Ms. Darbus said, throwing up her arms dramatically. Gabriella blushed and muttered a soft "Thank you." Ms. Darbus looked at Gabriella with an inquiring face. She laid a hand on her back. I stepped forward and saw her head pop up. I hurriedly dropped behind the red plush seats. I peered over the edge to see Ms. Darbus's eyes were back on Gabby.

"What's the matter, Miss Montez?" she asked. Gabriella shrugged.

"It's nothing, Ms. Darbus." she said quietly, "Thank you for the lessons." She started to walk away when Ms. Darbus said "Come now, Gabriella. It is obvious you are bothered." Ms. Darbus had never used anyone's first name, not even Sharpay's or mine's. Gabby looked back at Ms. Darbus and sighed.

"Well…I just got over a bad breakup with Troy." she said. "Bolton." she added quickly.

"Ah." Ms. Darbus said, "Well, matters of the heart are always painful, my dear. But it appears that something _else _is bothering you as well. Perhaps regarding another boy…?" Gabriella looked at Ms. Darbus like she couldn't believe she was real.

"How…how did you know?" she asked. Ms. Darbus chuckled lightly.

"Never mind that. Now, will you tell me your problem?"

"Well, there's this really sweet boy that I've been friends with for a long time. And since Troy and I…broke up…I've seen him…differently…"

"You mean, as more than a friend?" Ms. Darbus interrupted. Gabriella nodded.

"Well, I cannot say I am an expert, but maybe you should act on these feelings. Ask him to go to the movies or such and such."

"But…" Gabby said, "But…Troy-"

"Mr. Bolton has most likely moved on." Ms. Darbus said, "It would be smart,"-she put a comforting hand on Gabriella's arm-"if you did so as well." Gabriella sighed and nodded.

"I guess so." She said, "Well, thank you for the singing lessons, Ms. Darbus. This play is really important to me."

"Anytime, Miss Montez." Ms. Darbus said, smiling as Gabby ran off into the school hallways. I watched Ms. Darbus go backstage. Then I hurried out.

Great! Gabriella liked another dude! Just when I might have a chance, _bam_, new guy comes along! I bet he's another jock. She seems to like those kind of guys. Man, why me?! Why always me?!

Life stinks when you're a Drama Club dork like Ryan Evans.


	8. Chapter 8

**This chap stinks. I'm a much better author than this story implies. I just put more effort into Seddie fictions than Ryella's.**

I was hanging in the auditorium Monday during free period. Mainly what I was doing was sulking. Gabriella just broke up with Bolton, and now she had a new crush. Didn't even have a chance before a new dude moved in! It…well, it sucked.

Suddenly I heard the auditorium doors being swung open. I snapped my head up to see Gabriella walking towards me. I stiffened. What was she doing here?

"Hi, Ryan." she greeted, sitting next to me. I felt my cheeks get red. Why was she here?

"Hey, Gabby," I said. There was a moment's silence.

"Ryan…" Gabriella said, "There's something…I want to tell you…"

"No, Gabby," I cut in, surprised at myself, "I have to tell _you_ something." I stood up and looked her straight in the eye. Even if she did like another guy, I couldn't keep the feelings bottled up a minute longer. I needed to let her know. Now.

"Gabriella, you're an amazing friend," I said, "but I've never viewed you as that. Ever since the day you transferred here I wanted to be yours. But you were Bo—Troy's so I kept my mouth shut. But lately my feelings for you are growing. I know we've never dated but…I'm in love with you, Gabriella Montez." Her eyes were wide in shock. Well, why shouldn't they be? Suddenly it hit me: I confessed my unrequited feelings for Gabby! Oh shoot! Now we'd never be the same.

I started to run but she grabbed my arm. I looked down at her delicate face, how surprised and beautiful it was.

"Ryan…are you serious?" she asked.

"Y-yes." I said, "I am."

"Ryan…" Gabriella said, "I love you too." My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. The girl of my dreams…in love with me?

"But…but I thought you liked someone else—" I said.

"That's you." she said, smiling, but her smile faded quickly, "Wait, why'd you think I liked someone?"

"Uh, rumor." I said hurriedly, remembering Ms. Darbus vividly. Gabby grinned.

"Well…it's you." she said. I smiled. Then I moved my hand onto her face and kissed her. It was a blissful kiss; the one thing I wanted to do since I saw her. I saw fireworks burst across the dark abyss of my mind as my eyes closed. Exploding and crackling, I envisioned the two of us watching them. It was amazing, it was great, it was meant to be. From then on, I knew I'd be hopelessly devoted to Gabriella Montez.

**Sorry how rushed and practically incomplete this is. If you want to read well-written stories by me, you'll have to check out my Harry Potter's and iCarly's. Sorry!!!!**


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